1 Kings 8:54-64

54 Forsooth it was done, when Solomon, praying the Lord, had filled all this prayer and beseeching, he rose up from [the] sight of the altar of the Lord; for he had set fast ever either knee to the earth, and he had held forth his hands to heaven. (And it was done, when Solomon, praying to the Lord, had finished all this prayer and beseeching, he rose up from before the altar of the Lord; for he had set both of his knees upon the ground, and he had held forth his hands toward heaven.)

55 Therefore he stood, and blessed all the church of Israel, and said with [a] great voice, (And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel, and said with a loud voice,)

56 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that hath given rest to his people Israel (who hath given peace to his people Israel), (as) by all things which he spake; a word felled not down, soothly neither one, of all [the] goods/of all the good things which he spake by Moses, his servant.

57 Our Lord God be with us, as he was with our fathers, and forsake not us (and desert us not), neither cast us away;

58 but bow he our hearts to himself, that we go in all his ways, and keep his commandments, and ceremonies, and dooms, whichever he commanded to our fathers. (but bow he our hearts to himself, so that we go in all his ways, and obey his commandments, and statutes, and judgements, whatever he commanded to our forefathers.)

59 And these words of me, by which I have prayed before the Lord, be they nighing to our Lord God by day and night, that he make doom to me his servant, and to his people Israel by all days; (And these words of mine, with which I have prayed before the Lord, be they close to the Lord our God day and night, so that he may grant justice to me his servant, and to his people Israel by all days;)

60 and (so that) all the peoples of [the] earth know, that the Lord himself is God, and [there is] none other without him (and there is no one else but him).

61 Also our heart be perfect with our Lord God, that we go in his dooms, and keep his commandments, as also today. (And let our hearts be perfect with the Lord our God, so that we walk in his judgements, and obey his commandments, as we do this day.)

62 Therefore the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifices before the Lord.

63 And Solomon slew peaceable sacrifices, which he offered to the Lord; of oxes two and twenty thousand, and of sheep sixscore thousand; and the king and the sons of Israel hallowed the temple of the Lord. (And Solomon killed the peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord; yea, they killed twenty-two thousand oxen, and sixscore thousand sheep; and so the king and the Israelites dedicated the Temple of the Lord.)

64 In that day the king hallowed the middle of the great street, that was before the house of the Lord; for he made there burnt sacrifice[s], and offering(s), and the inner fatness of peaceable things; for the brazen altar that was before the Lord was too little, and it might not take the burnt sacrifice(s), and the offering(s), and the inner fatness of peaceable things. (On that day the king dedicated the center of the great courtyard that was before the House of the Lord; for he offered there the burnt sacrifices, and the offerings, and the inner fatness of the peace offerings; for the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small, and it could not take, or handle, all the burnt sacrifices, and the offerings, and the inner fatness of the peace offerings.)

1 Kings 8:54-64 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 8

This chapter gives an account of the introduction of the ark into the temple, 1Ki 8:1-9 of the glory of the Lord filling it, 1Ki 8:10,11 of a speech Solomon made to the people concerning the building of the temple, and how he came to be engaged in it, 1Ki 8:12-21, of a prayer of his he put up on this occasion, requesting, that what supplications soever were made at any time, or on any account, by Israelites or strangers, might be accepted by the Lord, 1Ki 8:22-53, and of his blessing the people of Israel at the close of it, with some useful exhortations, 1Ki 8:54-61, and of the great number of sacrifices offered up by him, and the feast he made for the people, upon which he dismissed them, 1Ki 8:62-66.